Introduction

Introduction

The United States Congress created the Title XX Social Services Block Grant in 1981 as part of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act. The Title XX Social Services Block Grant, with the intent that states would be able to manage their own programs and respond more efficiently to local needs.

The Title XX Social Services Block Grant (catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 93.667) funds be directed at one or more of five national goals:

Achieving or maintaining self-sufficiency, including reduction or prevention of dependency;

Preventing or remedying neglect, abuse or exploitation of children and adults unable to protect their own interests or preserving, rehabilitating or reuniting families;

Preventing or reducing inappropriate institutional care by providing for community-based care, home-based care or other forms of less intensive care; and

Securing referral or admission for institutional care when other forms of care are not appropriate or providing services to individuals in institutions.

The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) is the lead agency for the Title XX Social Services Block Grant Program in Illinois. The IDHS has administrative responsibility to ensure that all federal requirements are met. Mandates include planning, reporting, audit, public participation, and identification of activities that may not be supported with Block Grant funds. A network of state agencies and public and private social service providers utilize the Title XX Social Services Block Grant. The four state agencies that make up the Title XX Social Services Block Grant network include the Department of Children and Family Services, the Department of Corrections, the Department of Human Services, and the Department on Aging.

Within IDHS, the Bureau of Basic Supports, Office of Adult Services & Basic Supports is responsible for the administration of the Title XX Social Services Block Grant.

Donated Funds Initiative (DFI)

The State established the Donated Funds Initiative in Fiscal Year 1978 to encourage cooperative social service delivery efforts between local public/private providers and state government. The DFI Program is a "match" program meaning community entities who receive DFI funding must match the DFI funding with locally generated funds. The required match is 25 percent of the total award. The State's Title XX Social Services Block Grant allocation provides the remaining 75 percent of the total award. Through the use of locally generated funds, services can be expanded without the investment of additional state or federal funds. Examples of matching funds are United Way, local taxes, or certification of expenditures by local governments.

IDHS has Community Services Agreements with providers for the delivery of a wide range of services for people who are elderly, people with developmental disabilities, neglected children and adults, children who are at risk, people with physical disabilities, ex-offenders and victims of domestic violence.

IDHS, with the assistance of the state agency network, administers DFI. IDHS receives the appropriated funds and allocates funds for services sponsored by state agencies through Interagency Agreements. All DFI Community Services Agreements are between IDHS and the service providers. Through the Interagency Agreements, the Department on Aging, and the Departments of Children and Family Services and Corrections: identify service priorities, recommend community-based agencies for funding, and assist IDHS with providing technical assistance to DFI service providers to ensure service priorities are followed.

Within IDHS, the Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse, Office of Mental Health, Office of Developmental Disabilities, Office of Rehabilitation Services, and Family and Community Services identify service priorities and recommend community-based agencies for DFI funding. Staff within IDHS also provide assistance to the Bureau of Basic Supports to aid in providing technical assistance to providers.

Providers are reimbursed from the Local Initiative Fund. This fund is part of the annual appropriation to IDHS. For DFI, Requests for Reimbursement with supportive reports are submitted to IDHS at the 100 percent level and reimbursed at 75 percent. Providers/donors contribute 25 percent to meet the matching funds requirement.

The following is a listing of services funded by DFI. Service definitions and components are further detailed in the Title XX Social Services Block Grant annual Pre Expenditure report also known as the State's Intended Use Plan.

Case Coordination

Community Maintenance

Comprehensive Youth Development

Employability Development

Family Support

School-Based Health Care

Outpatient Treatment

Protective Intervention

Rehabilitation and Training for People with Disabilities

Rehabilitation and Treatment for Substance Abuse

Social Adjustment and Rehabilitation

Transportation

Treatment and Habilitation

Unmarried Parents

Availability of Title XX Social Services Block Grant, Donated Funds Initiative funding is contingent upon annual federal award and appropriation authority approved by the Illinois General Assembly and the Governor.

Definitions

Following is a listing of terms used throughout the Program Manual that may be of assistance in implementing requirements of the DFI.

CARS

The Consolidated Accounting Reporting System (CARS) is the Illinois Department of Human Services' integrated accounting and financial information system. CARS has been customized for IDHS to accomplish the following main objectives:

Provide the ability to process, track, and report accounting activity.

Facilitate reporting requirements.

Facilitate decision-making by IDHS management.

Offer easy-access windows-based features.

Interface information from other IDHS systems to record the respective accounting events.

Donated Funds Initiative Request for Reimbursement

This is the standard form used to make payments to organizations with DFI Community Services Agreements.

Certified Public Expenditures

These are expenditures for social services that are certified as such by a public agency, pursuant to the contractual agreement, in order to be considered as a portion of the State's share of social services expenditures.

C-13 Invoice-Voucher

The C-13 Invoice-Voucher is the standard form used by IDHS to make payments to organizations with agreements to provide approved residential services.

Community Outreach Plan

The plan which includes a detailed description for notifying the community of the program, hours of operation, and admittance/eligibility requirements into the programs(s) they administer for IDHS. IDHS must approve any publication and distribution of flyers, printed materials and brochures that are part of the IDHS funded program. All contractors must have a referral process that assists program participants with enrollment into public benefit programs such as TANF, Food Stamps, All Kids, medical and disability assistance, as well as other resources that address the needs of the population targeted for service. A record of referrals made to and from IDHS must be maintained. This information is to be reported as required.

Community Services Agreement

The Community Services Agreement is the standard legal boilerplate used by IDHS and approved by the Illinois Office of the Comptroller to purchase social services from private and public community-based organizations or units of local government. The agreement is signed by the provider and the Secretary of IDHS.

Contract Deliverables - Service Activity Report

Report which will be completed by service providers quarterly to report the actual numbers of clients served and the actual contract deliverables provided for the quarter and year-to-date. In addition, the report summarizes performance indicators that measure the degree to which providers have achieved their identified program goals.

Fixed Rate Grant

Title XX Social Services Block Grant Donated Funds Initiative is a fixed rate program for which the payments are made on the basis of a rate or allowable actual cost incurred and is based on a statement or bill as required by IDHS.

Group Service

Group service is any activity, therapy, counseling, or regimen of treatment involving a participant to a counselor ratio greater than 1:1.

Individual Service

Individual Service is any activity, therapy, counseling, or regimen of treatment involving a participant to a counselor ratio of 1:1.

In-Kind Contributions

The value of third-party non-cash contributions provided for directly benefiting the program.

In-kind may consist of donated services, goods, property and equipment.

Minority Seniors Report

Public Act 88-0254 requires the Illinois Department on Aging (IDOA) to prepare an annual report on all programs and services provided to "Minority Senior Citizens" to the Governor and the General Assembly. The IDHS, along with other state agencies, must submit information on program/service participation of minority senior citizens to the IDOA. At the end of the fiscal year, the Department will ask each provider to report these statistics on the persons served through the DFI program during the fiscal year.

For the purposes of this report, the definition of a senior citizen is a person 55 years of age or older. The reporting categorizes are African American, Hispanic, Asian American, American Indian or Alaskan Native and Caucasian (Caucasian category included for comparison purposes).

Program Plan

The DFI program plan details the program services, deliverables, and budget that providers will implement for the DFI. The provider is required to comply with all of the conditions and provisions of the program plan.

Provider

A provider is a public or private community-based organization under a contractual agreement with the Illinois Department of Human Services to deliver specific social services to a target population.

Public Agencies

A public agency is one which is created by an act of law.

Sponsoring State Agency

Four state agencies sponsor providers that participant in the Donated Funds Initiative. The providers serve the target population and provide the services that coincide with the mission of the state agencies. The agencies are the Department of Human Services, Department on Aging, Department of Corrections, and Department of Children and Family Services.

Two of the Federal requirements that Illinois must meet in order to receive the Title XX allocation is to submit two reports. The Title XX Social Services Block Grant Projected Expenditure Report must be submitted to the Federal Department of Health and Human Services thirty (15 ) days prior to the beginning of the state fiscal year, July 1. The report is the State's plan for social services provided under the Title XX Social Services Block Grant. The report projects the number of clients to be served, expenditures to be incurred, and describes each service and target population.

The Title XX Social Services Block Grant Expenditure Report must be submitted six (6) months after the end of the state fiscal year or prior to the beginning of the new fiscal year. The Expenditure Report provides the actual number of clients served, expenditures, and services provided.

Total Award

The total award for the Donated Funds Initiative is comprised of two parts, the required 25% match amount and the state's 75% funding commitment. The matching funds must be identified first before the state commits to funding. The Total Award is also referred to as the 100% level of funding.